Hello again everyone, welcome back to Into the Flame! I don't think I mentioned before, but I upload new chapters every Friday! (Saturday if I'm really busy, but usually Friday). So, if you're keeping an eye out for uploads, that's when they'll be!
Chapter 7: How Did It End Up Like This?
"Surprise!"
Raeger reeled back, dropping his keys and bumping into Maya as she hovered behind him, laughing.
"Happy Birthday!" She sang, accompanied by the huge group of people that were inexplicably hiding in the main dining area of his restaurant with the lights off. Raeger blinked in shock, working his mouth in an attempt to form words.
"What is all this?" He settled on eventually, breaking into an elated smile. Maya fixed him with a secretive wink, shrugging as nonchalantly as she could manage.
"It's your birthday!" Her hands clasped together behind her back as she rocked on her heels. "You didn't think we were just going to a movie, did you?"
Yes, as a matter of fact, Raeger had thought that. He responded to an urgent summons from Maya at around noon, beckoning for him to join her outside the restaurant. Upon meeting her, she informed him that she was taking him out for his birthday.
"You did all this?" Raeger gaped. The restaurant was dark, but he could make out trays of food, speakers, streamers, balloons, and confetti sprinkled throughout the room. On the far wall near his grandfather's juke box was a table piled high with wrapped gifts, a number that looked to be consistent with a contribution from everyone present. Well, except Maya.
She'd given him his gift already, nearly shoving it in his face when he opened the door. It was a ridiculously expensive leather jacket, black and fitted snugly to his torso. Raeger loved it so much that he abandoned the coat he was already wearing and chose to wear the new one instead. He was still wearing it now, hovering at the doorstep to what was apparently his surprise party.
"I needed to get you out of the restaurant for a few hours," Maya explained, giving him a gentle shove so that they could close the door. "Corona coordinated things while I was with you."
Raeger was still in a state of disbelief. He hadn't suspected anything when Maya invited him to the movies- hell, he was barely suspecting that she'd do that much. It never occurred to him that she had all of this planned.
"I can't believe you," he laughed, spinning to face her. She'd been pushing him and faltered at his sudden movement, tumbling into his grateful embrace. "This is amazing!"
"You're suffocating me!" Maya cried, amusement seeping into her complaint. She hugged him back fiercely, to the enthusiastic teasing of the gathered crowd.
"Get a room," Agate grinned, earning another round of laughter from everyone. Maya fought back her blush, abandoning Raeger's hug even as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively in response to the teasing.
"Come on," she tugged on his sleeve, pulling him into the thick of the party. "Somebody turn on some music!"
Marian was quick to oblige, apparently having been prepared for the last hour or so and openly complaining about the lack thereof. A thumping, cheerful song shocked the room into life, immediately injecting everyone with a bubbling energy.
"There's food on the bar!" Maya called out above the chatter. People swarmed Raeger to wish him well, make small talk, point out their gifts, etc. and she was having trouble being heard over the noise. A handful of guests standing around her caught the announcement, however, and eventually word spread.
"Thank you so much for everything!" Maya gripped Corona's hands in hers, the carpenter's wife and her husband having appeared before her. They looked wonderful; Corona was dressed up in a beautiful blue silk blouse and tight black pencil skirt, and even Gunther had changed, wearing dark grey trousers and a slightly wrinkled button down. "It looks amazing in here!"
"Don't thank me too much," Corona dismissed, rolling her eyes as the trio was pushed further from Raeger by the enthusiastic party-goers. Gunther was politely listening, with that calm, gruff smile of his. Everyone treated Gunther as though he was nice, but a little out of the loop. Maya suspected the exact opposite, with his quiet, contemplative ways she wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he was privy to as many things as his wife. "You came up with all of the ideas. I just executed them."
Maya chose to say nothing, knowing no good would come of arguing with her. She was simply happy that things had turned out as well as they had. Raeger looked just as surprised as she'd hoped he would, if not more so. All in all, Raeger's birthday was shaping up to be a perfect success.
"The cake looks wonderful, by the way." Corona winked, nodding to the piece de resistance tucked away behind the abundance of appetizers that Maya made the night before. "I can't wait to try it."
"Me too," Maya laughed nervously. "I didn't want to ruin it by tasting it this morning, so it could be terrible for all I know."
"I seriously doubt that," Corona snorted, shaking her head. "I watched you toil over that cake. If it's anything less than delectable, I'll eat my hat."
"The hat might taste better than anything I made," Maya jested, making Corona giggle despite her disagreement.
"Did you make all of this?" Raeger's voice startled Maya, his lips appearing at her ear. In the short span that she'd lost sight of him, he already had two drinks in his hand. One he was sipping on appreciatively, the other he pushed towards her.
"Of course I did," Maya nodded, taking the drink from him. It was a strong mix of whiskey and soda, and she scrunched her nose as the alcohol assaulted her tongue. "I'm not going to throw a party and make other people cook for me."
As obvious as that seemed to her, Raeger said nothing and stared at the food with an odd expression on his face. She was about to ask, the words tingling on her tongue, when-
"Sorry we're late!"
Both Raeger and Maya turned towards the door, just as Klaus and Iris made their way inside.
Maya immediately felt her throat tighten. She'd invited the entire town, so she couldn't very well leave them out. Besides, she was friends with both of them, and so was Raeger. The twisting of her stomach would just have to take a backseat for the night.
"Look who finally showed up!" Maya laughed, elbowing Klaus and Iris into the group as they made their way over, covering the sudden quiver in her voice with as much volume as she could reasonably muster. The two were met with waves and enthusiastic 'welcome's that revealed just how quickly everyone was consuming their drinks.
"My apologies for the tardiness," Klaus chuckled, sinking his hands into his pockets. "I was cluing up some work before heading out and it kept me longer than I was hoping."
"At least you made it!" Raeger held his glass up in greeting, deliberately ignoring the tall blonde Klaus had arrived with. Maya watched with a concerned frown- maybe inviting the entire town hadn't been such a good idea after all.
"Oh, he wouldn't have missed it," a sing-song voice pierced Maya's ears, "Klaus was quite the partier in our college days."
A slightly tipsy pink haired doctor hip checked Klaus on his way back to his seat, which was next to where Iris was now standing, winking to him in the process.
"Marian?" Klaus raised an eyebrow, questioning his friend with a look. "I figured you'd have broken into the tequila by now."
"I opened the tequila," Marian corrected, flipping his bangs out of his eyes. "I don't drink it. I just use it to make annoying people more tolerable."
"Marian!" Maya exclaimed, giggling. "That was mean."
"I only speak the truth, Sweetie," He insisted, nodding at her. "If it makes you feel any better, remember I didn't offer you any."
"And don't take any if he does," Klaus added with a groan. Maya straightened, realising this was the first time Klaus was speaking to her directly since he arrived. It made her feel annoyingly awkward. "Many of my severe college hangovers were the result of Marian and his persistence with the alcohol bottle."
"Don't give her the wrong idea," Marian tutted, much to Maya's amusement. "You took that bottle a lot more willingly than you're implying, Honey."
Klaus scoffed, although his embarrassed smile indicated that Marian wasn't stretching the truth very far. "Please, continue to tell yourself that, Marian."
"Do you guys want to sit down?" Corona offered, moving to sit in Gunther's lap and freeing up her own chair. Klaus graciously declined, leaving the seat open for someone else to take.
"Please don't fret over us," Iris smiled, "I'm sure Maya is in much greater need of a break after putting all of this together."
"She can sit with me," Raeger put in quickly, taking the vacant seat and tugging on Maya's waist. The last thing he wanted was to lose sight of her now, with Iris and Klaus not two feet from his rapidly deteriorating sobriety. She stumbled, laughing, into his lap, struggling against his arms as he trapped her there.
"Let me up!" She whined, shoving the young chef until he relented, allowing Maya to right herself. "You're such a pain."
"But you love me," Raeger grinned, earning a round of laughter from everyone. "The offer is still open if you have a change of heart!"
"Doubtful," Maya rolled her eyes, shifting her weight to one hip. "But I'll keep that in mind."
"Quit flirting with her, Raeger," Corona chided, laughing. "You don't get a free pass just because it's your birthday."
"Do I get a free pass on any other day?" Raeger asked, earning a smack from Iris as she was the one sitting closest to him.
"How about you just thank her for the marvelous party and then politely keep your mouth shut?" She suggested, sniffing. Maya felt her heart drop as Iris playfully shoved Raeger's shoulder. The atmosphere, while still light, had shifted just enough to be noticeable.
"Who pissed in your cheerios this morning?" Raeger snorted, less than delicately. "You're even less fun than normal."
"That's not true," Iris insisted, fixing her hair. She turned away from Raeger as she did so, forcing him to face her properly. "I'm fine. I just think you've harassed poor Maya enough for one day."
Raeger looked taken aback. "I'm not harassing her!" He exclaimed, smacking his knee with his open palm. "Maya, am I harassing you?"
Maya began to stutter, inadvertently caught in the back and forth.
"Well- I mean- No you don't- I-" She stammered, unsure of what was expected of her. Marian interrupted the banter with a series of maniacal cackles, shattering the awkward tension at just the right time.
"You lot are better than a soap opera," He chuckled, elbowing Klaus as he did so. "Come on, your turn. Say something embarrassing."
Klaus gave him a pointed look.
"I think the fact that I'm friends with you is quite embarrassing enough, thanks." He huffed, earning another roar of laughter from the small group.
"You've been supplying a lot of commentary, Marian," Maya smirked, relieved at his intervention, "How about you take the lead for a while, hmm?"
She was practically begging him to. Whether he caught on or not, Maya couldn't quite say, but suddenly Marian's eyes sparkled deviously, accepting Maya's suggestion with a flare.
"Settle down, children." He began, cracking his knuckles for the sake of showmanship. "This is a classic tragic tale of love and betrayal, starring yours truly, and featuring special guests: Liar, and the Cheat. Oh. And Klaus was there too."
A ripple of laughter and groans shuddered through the group as they fell into a long, complicated, and horrendously exaggerated retelling of some of Marian's fondest memories from college.
Maya listened to Marian's story as closely as she dared. Parties had a tendency to get out of control, quickly, and this was proving to be no exception. It felt as though they'd just walked in the door, and yet so much had happened.
She glanced at Iris. At Klaus. At Raeger. With each person, Maya's confusion grew even more. What were they thinking? How did they feel?
How did she feel?
Before Maya could properly catch her breath, Corona's voice pierced her reverie with a tone of urgency.
"Oh Maya, be a dear and help me out over here, would you?" She hooked her arm through Maya's elbow, tugging her off of her chair and away from the group, still enraptured by Marian's tales. "I couldn't get one of the speakers connected properly and it'll keep cutting out all night if we don't fix it."
"Uh, sure," Maya frowned, confused by the abrupt retreat, but kept her mouth shut until they were out of earshot of everyone else.
"What was that about?" Corona had indeed stopped near a speaker, but Maya already knew nothing was wrong with it. Corona offered her a sympathetic smile.
"You looked like you were getting a little overwhelmed over there," she admitted, squeezing Maya's hand. "Everything happened pretty fast, huh?"
Maya nodded, accepting Corona's gesture gratefully.
"You know," Corona began, glancing back at the others. Marian had disappeared, no doubt to locate more alcohol, and now Klaus was speaking animatedly to Iris while Raeger looked on politely. "He really does seem happier when you're around."
Maya flinched, but she'd just been thinking that very thing.
She'd really tried to keep her emotions out of the equation, just for tonight. Maya was determined to forget about her problems for a little while, focus solely on making sure Raeger had a great birthday. Unfortunately, and maybe expectedly, she failed.
When did everything get so… complicated? Maya took note of the differences between herself and Iris- the other woman was tall, beautifully blonde, curvy in all of the right places, and irrefutably elegant. Maya was small, brunette, and cutesy. It wasn't difficult to see why Raeger had fallen for the older woman, and why he seemingly remained in love with her to this day.
Even Raeger and Klaus were completely different. Maya felt a strange ache in her heart as she watched Klaus and Raeger talk, exchanging pleasantries no doubt. Raeger, relaxed and confident in his slim, dark jeans, new black leather jacket, red crew-neck long-sleeved shirt, and wind-tousled copper hair. Klaus, formal and refined in his tailored green suit and short, unruly locks.
So different, and yet her heart thumped painfully whenever she looked at either of them.
"I need another drink," Maya sighed, downing the one in her hand in an impressive gulp. Corona smiled sympathetically, disappearing to get her one with significantly more alcohol content than the one she'd just consumed.
Maya fought back the feelings coursing through her as fiercely as she could. The party had barely started, and she already wanted to go home. She wouldn't be, of course; after drinking anything at all she would much rather sleep on Raeger's couch than risk walking home.
He would probably insist she share the bed, but Maya didn't want to think about that.
Raeger and Iris. They were a strange couple, but she certainly couldn't blame either of them. Iris could break hearts with a bat of her thick eyelashes, and Raeger was… well, he was Raeger. Charming and attractive and kind, he could sweep any woman off her feet. But watching them standing next to each other, Maya couldn't help thinking that something didn't look right.
Iris was tasteful and sophisticated, looking far more at home on Klaus's refined arm than Raeger's down to earth, rugged one.
"Like comparing beer and wine, isn't it?"
Maya jumped, whirling to face Marian's knowing smile. She felt an immediate sense of dread, one that usually accompanied Marian's arrival.
"What are you talking about?"
Marian snorted, sipping his margarita with enthusiasm.
"As if you don't know," he sighed, rolling his eyes. His false lashes fluttered innocently. "Raeger and Klaus, beer and wine. Two entirely different flavours, and yet both have their appeal."
Maya said nothing. She wouldn't argue with Marian- perish the thought. But she didn't have to agree with him either.
"If you want my advice," Marian continued, intent on giving it whether Maya answered yes or no, "the best way to pick a favourite is to try them both."
Maya couldn't maintain her silence now, bursting into a sudden, shocked laugh.
"I think that's a bit ambitious," she criticized, sneaking a quick glance at Klaus and Raeger, who'd started to pick at the assortment of snacks. "For me, anyway."
Marian hummed thoughtfully, tapping his nails against the glass. As he'd predicted, Maya was finding herself in the middle of an interesting love triangle. This was perhaps the most fascinating thing that had happened in Oak Tree in a long time.
"Ambitious, perhaps. That doesn't make it a bad idea." Marian cackled at Maya's uncomfortable frown, resting his hand on her shoulder. "A little taste wouldn't hurt. Although my sources indicate you've already tried the beer."
Maya went rigid, her eyes widening to saucers. Marian only held his finger to his lips, his eyes twinkling delightedly.
"Ah, so it is true," he smirked. "Don't worry Lamb Chop, I'll keep that little tidbit to myself."
"I don't know what to think right now," Maya admitted, fidgeting with her dress. She'd worn something different today, in celebration of Raeger's birthday. It was a short, flowy, red dress that hugged her waist and flared out. She couldn't help but consider what Raeger would think of it when she picked the outfit, complete with grey strapped heels. Klaus had once told her she looked good in blue.
A certain chef she knew had implied that he preferred red.
"You'll figure it out," Marian reassured her. He was fairly certain he'd already decided who she should choose, but that wasn't his decision to make. He abandoned Maya just as Corona returned, satisfied that he'd confirmed his suspicions and left his mark on the situation.
Now he would just have to wait and see.
"What was that about?" Corona quirked an eyebrow, watching Marian as he sashayed away, mingling with the crowd. Maya accepted the drink she offered, dragging her finger around the rim.
"We were just talking about the drink menu," she shrugged, taking a hesitant sip.
.
Raeger was getting drunk.
He knew he was, but he couldn't stop himself. He liked drinking on occasion, especially when things in life were less than ideal. As it so happened, he'd been trapped spending most of the party chatting with the two people he wanted to speak to the least.
Klaus was a nice person. Raeger always liked him, even if he was a bit stuffy. But ever since he'd learned of Maya's feelings for the perfumer, and the incident from the other day, seeing him always left a bitter taste in Raeger's mouth.
What did Maya see in him anyway?
No, that wasn't fair. Raeger was letting his own emotions impact his judgement. There was plenty about Klaus to like, but Raeger was having difficulty finding them tonight.
"That's a wonderful jacket, Raeger," Klaus nodded to the garment. "Is it new?"
"A birthday gift from Maya," Raeger smiled politely, taking a little bit of satisfaction in the answer. He knew Maya had never gotten Klaus anything like this, and although he wasn't generally the jealous type, he found himself puffing his chest a bit.
Klaus smiled thoughtfully, taking a sip of his brandy.
"That doesn't surprise me in the slightest," he chuckled, "she's very thoughtful."
Raeger agreed, going back to his sixth drink of the night.
"Goddess, Raeger," Iris tutted, pursing her pink lips, "slow down, you'll be wasted before the night's out."
Ah, yes. The other reason that was exactly what Raeger was planning to do.
Iris had a habit of sparking an odd combination of bitter resentment and longing from somewhere deep within him, but tonight was different. Despite their past, Raeger always wanted to be around Iris. He found her charming and unattainable. Tonight, however, he wanted nothing more than to get away from her.
He didn't hate her. Raeger could never hate Iris, quite the contrary in fact, but more and more he was beginning to doubt his own feelings.
"That's the idea," Raeger grinned, taking a deep gulp. "I only have one birthday a year, after all."
Where had Maya gone?
Raeger was always disappointed when she got dragged away from him at social gatherings, but Corona had taken the young farmer for far longer than normal this time. He'd barely seen her all night, and he was beginning to miss her company.
Just as he thought that, Raeger caught a glimpse of Maya's red dress sifting through the crowd.
"Excuse me," he made a quick but polite getaway, leaving Iris and Klaus to chat amongst themselves.
Alcohol was likely not the best solution to Raeger's problems. He couldn't get Maya off of his mind for most of the day, especially when he opened the front door to her standing there in the sexiest dress he'd laid eyes on in a long time.
What was so wrong with feeling this way for her again? Raeger was having trouble remembering. He was having trouble remembering much of anything at the moment, to be fair. And why should he have to? It was his birthday, and he was perfectly allowed to have fun with his friends.
His friend that threw him the best- and only- birthday party he'd ever had.
Maya went above and beyond. No one ever celebrated Raeger's birthday with much enthusiasm, likely because he didn't make a big deal out of it himself. But Maya was different. She pulled out all the stops, even cooking for him. No one had ever done that for him before.
"Raeger!"
Maya greeted him cheerily, drinking from a different glass than the one he'd given her. It seemed like she'd thrown back a few herself since they'd parted.
"Are you having fun?" She asked him with such sincerity and nervousness, as if he would ever indicate otherwise. Raeger smiled reassuringly.
"I'd be having a lot more fun if you'd stop disappearing," he teased, noting with amusement the soft blush that sprang to her cheeks.
"I associate with other people, you know." She winked, crossing her arms over her chest. "You can't have me all to yourself."
Raeger resisted a laugh. How was it that she knew that's exactly what he wanted?
"Why not?" He pouted comically, "trying to make me jealous, Love Bug?"
Maya rolled her eyes, giving Raeger a sharp shove on the shoulder. She loved his banter, it made her feel warm and happy no matter her mood, and more and more she found herself seeking out his teasing remarks. Maybe that wasn't what she should be doing, but for the moment she didn't care.
"Dance with me," Raeger implored her, his voice sweet and smooth. Even if she wasn't just lost in thought, Maya wouldn't have been able to bring herself to refuse, placing her hand delicately in his.
With a gentle spin, she was in his arms and in the middle of the dancefloor. Maya gasped in surprise, clinging to him for balance. The few drinks she'd had had made her tipsy, more so than she'd thought.
"Maybe this is a bad idea," she laughed, clinging to Raeger's shoulders as he whirled her around again. "I'm not as steady on my feet as I thought I was."
"Don't worry," Raeger smirked, tightening his grip on her waist. Maya giggled, letting him guide her all over the room. "I won't let you fall."
Maya snorted, fixing him with a playfully skeptical grin.
"Oh please," she laughed, falling against his chest as he continued to guide her. "If anyone trips, it'll be you."
In spite of her words, Raeger was proving to be incredibly light on his feet. Maya couldn't help but be a little impressed as he followed the beat perfectly, even managing to make her look good in the process.
"I'll have you know," Raeger huffed indignantly, "I happen to be an excellent dancer."
"So says you."
As Raeger spun her again, Maya caught sight of Corona and Gunther in a nearby corner, dancing like they were. Maya smiled; Gunther was far less coordinated than Raeger, but he was trying his hardest to keep a beat and Corona was clearly loving every minute of it. She laughed and twirled and clung to his arms, encouraging him to keep going even when he stumbled over his own feet.
It was the kind of love that Maya thought everyone should aspire to find someday.
"They're really cute, aren't they?"
Raeger's voice startled her, and Maya looked up to find him following her gaze to Gunther and Corona.
"I knew her back before she married Gunther. She was dating this absolutely horrible guy from the next town over. Everybody here hated him."
Maya listened intently, barely noticing as the song changed to a slow, swaying ballad. Raeger absentmindedly adjusted his hold on her body, pressing her gently into his embrace as they moved.
"When Gunther came to town, his business took off so quickly that everyone knew who he was within the first week. Corona told me she was going to him hoping he would fix a sticking lock on her bedroom door, but her boyfriend didn't quite see it that way.
"He came over while Gunther was working and they had this big blow out. Corona was trying to defend herself but this guy was just not having it. Gunther didn't say anything at first, you know how quiet he is, but apparently the guy raised his hand and that was the last straw."
"He hit her?" Maya gasped, bringing her attention back to Raeger. He was staring wistfully at the couple, but at Maya's concerned exclamation he brought his gaze to her.
"Not that time," Raeger reassured her, squeezing her waist comfortingly. "Gunther stepped in before he could. But I'm sure it wasn't the first time he tried, although I've never gotten Corona to admit that."
The pair fell silent, letting the weight of the story hang in the air.
Corona and Gunther were so happy, even after knowing them for only a short while Maya could see that clearly. They supported each other, laughed together, had fun in each other's company; when they were together, they glowed.
Maya's thoughts trailed to her and Raeger, noting with a flip of her stomach all of the similarities between them and the married couple across the room.
"Thank you, by the way."
Maya blinked up at Raeger again, startled out of her reverie just as she was about to blush. He was smiling down at her, a soft, sincere sparkle in his emerald eyes.
"For what?" Maya furrowed her brow, bringing her thoughts back to the present. "The party?"
"That," Raeger nodded, gently lifting her into a twirl before setting her down again. "And everything else you do. I usually have to cook for my own special occasions, you know."
"What?" Maya laughed, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "You can't be serious."
"I am!" He defended, his smile just as wide as hers. "Everyone is afraid to cook for me because they don't think it'll be 'up to my standards', or some other bullshit. Not even my girlfriends would try. But you didn't even hesitate. So, thank you."
A pang of sadness struck her. There was something woeful about Raeger being forced to cook for himself all the time. Now that she thought about it, Maya wasn't sure she'd ever seen Raeger take a step back and let someone care for him.
"Well, I'll cook for you anytime," Maya assured him with a cheery wink. "No matter how terrible it turns out."
"You'd better," Raeger laughed, bringing them to a stop with the fading notes of the song. Raeger used his arms to steady them, his own head spinning much more than it had been just a moment ago. "And no showboating! I want to taste what you have to offer."
"Of course," Maya grinned. She pushed her palms up his chest, reaching around his neck and pulling him down to her. Raeger started, but he complied, bending just enough for her to press her lips softly against his cheek.
"Happy birthday, Raeger," she whispered, a shallow blush sprouting across her chest. Just as soon as she'd kissed him, she let go, taking a large step backwards.
"I'd better start cleaning up a little." Maya caught herself fidgeting and quickly clasped her hands tightly together. "I think some people have started to leave and if I don't get something done now, we'll be cleaning all day tomorrow."
Raeger watched her retreat, perplexed by the sudden thumping in his chest and the way his arms ached with her absence. Surely, he couldn't be-
Corona and Gunther caught his attention again, laughing happily as they shared a drink. Raeger had decided a long time ago that, whenever he found the right woman, they would be as happy as the carpenter and his wife. A long time ago, he'd thought he'd found that happiness with Iris, but even at the time he'd had trouble picturing the two of them sharing a life together.
Now, flashes of a petite farmer with mossy eyes and auburn hair were assaulting his mind in tune with the rhythm of his pounding heart.
Raeger shook his head fiercely, plastering on his best smile as Fritz found him with another beer in hand. He couldn't be concerned with this now. His feelings for Iris were just fizzling out, this wasn't the time to be thinking about another woman.
Still, Maya's lingering warmth on his skin was a painful reminder of just how cold he was.
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